Lucky Charms

PHOTO: June 6, 1987
Michael J Armijo and Scott Lauer
Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA

I didn’t have enough information and could easily leap to the wrong conclusion which is a dangerous thing to do because you should make sure you have all the available clues before you start deducing things.
-Mark Haddon
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

Twenty-five years ago today:

May 27, 1987
Wednesday

It was a rather stressful day at work. Carla was out sick once again.

A Sacramento supervisor called-in to complain about me because of a payment arrangement I made with a delinquent customer. It didn’t allow her to sell more to the customer, so she saw it in a one-sided way (in her favor). It got to me but it shouldn’t have. There are a lot of new delinquent accounts coming in. The job is a ‘real bitch’. Freddie and I mutually discussed how we ‘hate the damn job’.
Freddie made me laugh when she described our boss, Steve, with white, clammy skin. I added to his description with my ‘goobery doorknob personality’ phrase.
“That personality doesn’t help,” I whispered to Freddie.
She laughed hysterically and couldn’t stop. These little secrets make our job fun.

After work I napped and went to the gym where I ran into a number of friends, including Dave Trapp, Mark Geberhart, Scott Lauer (the twenty year old Alameda Navy base fellow), Stewart Western, Russ, Angela, Patty, Anne Alberti and Steve Green.
Anne Alberti actually stopped and made a point to talk with me while I was on the rowing machine.
“I like your shorts,” Anne said.
“Thanks, I picked them up at Wilkes-Sport in the City,” I gasped as I was huffing and puffing.
It was just small talk but I enjoyed the acknowledgement.

Mark Geberhart had previously mentioned lunch in the City, so I said, “I only have one-hour lunches now.”
It doesn’t seem like much time.

Scott Lauer asked, “Are you coming to work out tomorrow?”
“Yep, I’ll be here.”
I thought that was a cool question. Did he ask me that for him to decide whether or not he would show up? I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.  I like his biceps.

Stewart Western said, “Hey, we should do a run along the San Leandro Marina sometime.”
“That sounds great!”
“Maybe the first weekend in June,” Stewart suggested.
“Okay, let’s do it.”

Steve Green asked, “What are you up to this weekend?”
“Not much planned…my Birthday was yesterday.”
I figured the Birthday remark was a good change of the subject remark. He didn’t continue with the weekend plan questions after that.   I bet he felt guilty for not remembering.

I felt rather popular at the gym today. Could it have been the sexy Wilkes-Sport shorts that caught everyone’s attention? Ha-ha…who knows?

I called Tim Lewis of Wilkes-Bashford Sport at his home. I simply left a message on his recorder. If he calls me…great. If not…later days!

I telephoned Eileen. Guess what? No answer, of course.

I ate almost a whole box of LUCKY CHARMS when I got back home. I was starving and that was the easiest thing to munch on. There was nothing on the tube, so I turned-in early.

Johnny called me from L.A.
“I recorded that song A TIME TO CRY tonight,” Johnny announced happily.
He was so excited about it all. I hope his songs become hits. I’m encouraging him, but that is such a sad song. The title alone makes one want to cry.

I dread work but payday is tomorrow. I refuse to miss out on my morning and afternoon breaks anymore. I need that time for my own psyche. In a way, I’m glad I have that hour lunch because I need that time to breathe as well. Yawn.

Something new, a silent time of deeper thinking, had entered my life, and I associate it with those afternoons of silent reading.
-Janet Frame
JANET FRAME, AN AUTOBIOGRAP